How the calorie calculator works
First the calculator estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (1990), which performs most accurately in comparison studies:
- Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
- Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
The BMR is then multiplied by your activity factor (PAL). The result is your total daily energy expenditure, in other words the number of calories at which your weight stays stable on paper.
PAL values: which activity factor fits you?
| PAL factor | Daily routine |
|---|---|
| 1.2 | Sedentary, little movement (e.g. desk job without exercise) |
| 1.375 | Lightly active (light movement or exercise 1 to 3 days per week) |
| 1.55 | Moderately active (exercise or physical work 3 to 5 days per week) |
| 1.725 | Very active (intense exercise 6 to 7 days per week) |
| 1.9 | Extremely active (hard physical labor plus daily training) |
Calorie needs examples (Mifflin-St Jeor)
A few typical values for orientation. BMR and TDEE are calculated with the same formula as in the calculator above:
| Person | BMR | Sedentary (PAL 1.2) | Moderately active (1.55) | Very active (1.725) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 30 years, 1.68 m, 68 kg | 1,419 kcal | 1,703 kcal | 2,199 kcal | 2,448 kcal |
| Woman, 55 years, 1.65 m, 70 kg | 1,295 kcal | 1,554 kcal | 2,008 kcal | 2,234 kcal |
| Man, 30 years, 1.80 m, 80 kg | 1,780 kcal | 2,136 kcal | 2,759 kcal | 3,071 kcal |
| Man, 55 years, 1.78 m, 85 kg | 1,693 kcal | 2,031 kcal | 2,623 kcal | 2,920 kcal |
Lose, maintain, or gain weight?
Your total daily energy expenditure is the reference point. If you consistently eat more, you gain weight, if you eat less, you lose weight. For sustainable weight loss, a moderate deficit of 300 to 500 kcal has proven itself: slow, but without the yo-yo effect and nutrient shortfalls. For healthy weight gain the same applies in the other direction. More important than the exact number is that your food choices are right. You will find ideas in our healthy recipes and the nutrition basics. The protein calculator shows you how much protein belongs in your balance, and the macro calculator works out how your needs split into carbohydrates, fat, and protein. What individual workouts burn is shown by the calories burned calculator.
Why every formula is only a starting point
Muscle mass, genetics, hormones, and even your gut flora influence your real expenditure. Two people with identical stats can differ by several hundred calories. Start with the calculated value, watch your weight and energy for two to four weeks, and then adjust. This fine-tuning is exactly where a nutrition coach can help you.